Public, coin-operated telephones have long been considered a tempting target for vandalism. Often located in secluded or out-of-the-way places, and often retaining a large amount of deposited coins, they are subject to attack by those attempting to obtain access to the enclosed coins. Often such attack is by entry into the lower portion of the telephone bearing the coinbox.
To guard against such attack, a variety of mechanisms have been developed to increase the strength and rigidity of the telephone box unit.
A more sinister mechanism for defrauding the telephone company has been developed, however, which does not include the physical removal of the coinbox to collect deposited coins. Rather, it involves the diversion of coins deposited such that they never enter the coinbox, but are routed into the coin return receptacle for removal, although the coin counting and sensing mechanism of the telephone records them as being deposited, thus allowing the telephone call for which they have been deposited to be completed. Upon completion of the call, the coins drop not into the coinbox but into the coin return receptacle.
As coins are deposited in the telephone, they are sensed and retained in a chute, pending completion of the call. If the call is completed, the coins fall into the coinbox, while if the call is not completed a coin return relay is activated, causing the coins to be diverted out into the coin return receptacle. With long distance or overseas calls in particular, a substantial quantity of coins may be deposited and maintained in the intermediate position pending completion of the call.
The fraud consists of boring a small entryway through the telephone housing such that a probe inserted therethrough can contact the coin return relay armature, or the internal passageway door to which it is connected, so that the door is repositioned to direct the coins to the coin return slot when they are released upon completion of the call. The coins are thus diverted from their intended path into the coinbox, thus defrauding the telephone company of its payment for the telephone call.
It is accordingly the purpose of the present invention to provide an apparatus which prevents the improper operation of the coin return relay and diverter system.
Yet a further purpose of the present invention is to provide such an apparatus which may be retrofit upon conventional coin telephone apparatus without modification.
Still another purpose of the present invention is to provide coin relay protection in a device which is able to sit directly upon the relay unit yet not inhibit or affect proper operation thereof.